ARC^® Fertility Blog

When do I need an egg donor?

Today’s media coverage would have you believe that celebrities giving birth well into their forties is commonplace. What goes unreported is that most often a much younger egg donor was used because of the celebrity’s age and associated reduced fertility. In fact, age-related decline in fertility is the primary reason a woman who is trying to get pregnant might want to use an egg donor. Once the decision has been made to use an assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) the next decision for an older woman is whether she will use her own eggs or donor eggs.

Dealing with infertility or depression is a major challenge, but trying to cope with both at once can be overwhelming. Fortunately, treatment is available to help you build your family while addressing your depression.

Anyone who follows the news has noticed what seems to be an epidemic of depression. While rates may be on the rise, there’s also a new willingness to discuss the issue more openly. In this way and others, depression, and infertility share traits – both are medical conditions, deserve to have treatment covered, and more work remains to reduce the stigma.

Secondary infertility is the inability to establish a clinical pregnancy after a previous pregnancy whether or not there was a live birth. It affects nearly 3 million couples and accounts for 1/3 of visits to a fertility specialist.

You may be well-informed about a variety of healthcare topics but there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of “secondary infertility.” It’s the inability to establish a clinical pregnancy after a previous pregnancy whether or not there was a live birth. While it may not be a mainstream topic, secondary infertility affects nearly three million couples, double the number from 1995. It also accounts for approximately one-third all visits to see a fertility specialist.

Lost in Translation? A Glossary of Infertility Acronyms to Help

There’s no doubt there’s an education in store for couples who enter the world of infertility as diagnosis and treatment seem to come with their own special language. It begins with learning the basic terminology for tests and procedures you’ll discuss with your doctor. Once you’ve mastered the acronyms for the basics – like IVF – there seems to be a constant stream of new terms to learn with treatment. And, in the vibrant online forums/message boards where infertility is discussed – mostly among women – the acronyms that abound serve as short hand for common medical terms and a variety of expressions that help define the infertility journey.

Listen Up

Dr. Adamson and Heather discuss the various treatment packages and other financial options ARC Fertility offers:

INTRODUCTION

I’d like to start by hearing a little bit more about you and ARC Fertility as a whole. Tell us about your background, how you ended up specializing in reproductive endocrinology, and why you founded ARC Fertility.

How ARC^® Fertility Helps You Move Forward with Care

Chances are if you’ve received a diagnosis of infertility and decided to pursue treatment, you already know a variety of challenges lie ahead. Among those is making decisions about how to pay for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the fertility medications you may need to take. The total cost of treatment can feel overwhelming and out-of-reach, even discouraging. In fact, 30% of people who seek fertility treatment drop out before it begins, primarily due to cost. Still, when the goal is having a baby, it’s comforting to know there are options to help make treatment more affordable.

5 Steps for Improving Your Credit Score

For most people, a realistic timeframe to improve your score is 6 months. More serious problems such as delinquencies or bankruptcy take longer to fix. Do keep in mind that lenders have different policies about who qualifies for a loan and at what rate, and that recent behavior makes a difference.

“The time is now to get organized, be loud and show up. Family-building issues are bi-partisan and we need to find support where we can.” That’s the rallying cry of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association which created the annual Advocacy Day event to bring together the infertility community to discuss important issues with members of Congress.

Advocacy Day in Washington, DC provides an opportunity for patients and health professionals to remind policymakers that infertility is a medical disease (as determined by the World Health Organization and all the major reproductive medicine societies in the world) that needs to be treated and requires access to affordable coverage. Major issues that will be discussed on Capitol Hill this year include: increasing insurance coverage, covering fertility preservation, family-building options, financial relief, opposing personhood laws and helping veterans. Learn more about these issues.

How to Face Mother’s Day When You’re Coping with Infertility

Mother’s Day is not just another Sunday in May for women who are already dealing with the challenges of infertility. It’s a big splashy, impossible-to-miss holiday with flowers, cards, brunch and family get-togethers. Unlike other holidays that more broadly focus on families or couples – like Christmas and Valentine’s Day – Mother’s Day celebrates one unique and treasured relationship. For women with an infertility diagnosis, the holiday can feel especially painful and isolating.

It’s a Dream, More than Just a Disease – Join National Infertility Awareness Week April 22-28

Infertility can affect anyone – it doesn’t know the boundaries of gender, race, religion, sexuality or income. Everyone coping with this serious medical condition knows the challenges that abound – medical, financial, and emotional. What can help is creating an environment – or, better yet, a community – where facts, not myth, and acceptance not stigma, are the rule and not the exception. The ability to have a conversation and gain understanding and support goes a long way.

Since 1 in every 8 Americans has been diagnosed with infertility, it’s very likely someone you know – a family member, neighbor or co-worker – is dealing with the disease and all its stressors. As RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and sponsor of National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) reminds us, it’s not just older women who waited too long to have children. While you may not have yet had a conversation with someone close on the topic, there’s a way to show you care during NIAW from April 22-28. Join millions of people across the country dedicated to the proposition that everyone who wants to build a family should be able to.

Infertility Stresses Men Too, According to New Research

Everyone faces stress in their lives but research shows some life events – the death of someone close, a divorce, or loss of a job – have a bigger impact than others. Add infertility to the list as causing major stress: evidence shows that women faced with infertility have stress levels comparable to being a cancer patient.

But what about men?

Fertility Counseling Before Cancer Treatment Improves Quality of Life

While it’s never good to receive a cancer diagnosis, today’s latest treatments often mean a long life as a cancer survivor. And, if you haven’t yet had children – or would like more – studies show that receiving pre-treatment fertility preservation counseling not only provides important information about options, it can also improve your quality of life. Currently, such counseling practice is not yet standard or widespread, but it should be.

What’s Known, New, and Ahead with Endometriosis

Much has been written about endometriosis which is not surprising given over 7 million American girls and women have the condition as do 176 million women worldwide. Those with the condition often experience significant pain and a major impact on their quality of life. Also, the condition explains infertility for 25-50% of women, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Buy A Fertile Path Book

Mindfulness has become extremely popular over the past decade . . . and for good reason. Our lives seem to be more stressful and full of anxiety than ever, and we need a way to find equanimity in the face of it all. In its essence, mindfulness is learning to accept reality for what it is with a sense of peace and stability so that we can better deal with life’s challenges.

One of the biggest challenges that life can throw at us is infertility.

Why is infertility viewed as a life crisis? Infertility reaches into the most important areas of our lives: our relationships, our careers, our finances, and especially our sense of self. It is typically experienced as one of the most difficult situations ever encountered. Unlike previous endeavors, effort does not equate with success, thus attempts to gain control over a situation that lies outside control, only heightens a sense of insecurity. And, because infertility challenges the inherent assumption that we can have children whenever we choose—that procreation is a birthright—the inability to father a child or become pregnant becomes a personal catastrophe.

Remember Romance? Focus on Being a Couple This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day might be considered the “official” day to show your love to your partner but for couples facing infertility, recapturing romance can be challenging. The stress of treatment – and all it involves – can feel exhausting, affecting your sleep and mood. Not to mention the need to schedule sex.

So, what can you do this Valentine’s Day to move past the focus on fertility? Flowers, candy and jewelry can help, but first, remember why you fell in love and want to have children together. No one will turn down tangible displays of affection expressed through red or heart-shaped gifts, but true romance is also about the small, unexpected gestures that show you care.

Try Deep Breathing and Relaxation: Yoga Reduces the Stress of Infertility

At the start of the New Year, you may have already committed to a healthier lifestyle to help bolster your chances of becoming a parent. Reducing stress should be on the list, so it’s worth considering one very popular, evidence-based method for stress reduction: yoga.

Keeping stress at bay is important for couples trying to get pregnant. While the impact of stress on infertility is not well understood, the consequences do affect the probability of getting pregnant. Stress can cause poor sleep, unhealthy eating and weight gain, smoking and drinking – all known to have a negative impact on fertility. As RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association points out “While stress does not cause infertility, infertility most definitely causes stress.”

A new study released Monday reports that taking just 600mg daily of the common over-the-counter painkiller ibuprofen (e.g. Advil, Motrin) affects male testosterone levels – at least in the short term. Low levels of the male hormone can affect sperm production and sex drive, among other things, potentially reducing the chance of becoming a father.